The Saab 900 Turbo was the Tesla of its day | Revelations with Jason Cammisa | Ep. 15
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- Опубліковано 17 лис 2021
- The Saab 99 Turbo and 900 Turbo were Swedish Crystal Balls: they more accurately foretold the future of automotive powertrains better than perhaps any other car until Tesla's EVs.
The similarities are many: Saab wasn't a car company; it was an airplane manufacturer, so it did things differently than other automakers. Saab was obsessed with safety. And Saab was concerned about real-world speed and efficiency rather than looking just at numbers.
And as a result, Saabs were bought by non-mainstream buyers. Just like today's EVs.
In this episode, Jason Cammisa explains why the 99 and 900, which were effectively the same car, were revelations. They included a handful of world-firsts, including low-boost-pressure, high compression-ratio four-cylinders that more closely resemble today's turbos than anything else of the era.
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SAAB was engineered by engineers, not financial consultants, that's why they were so ahead of their time.
Agreed
Then the financial guys took over, they brought their friends too and destroyed the company
Exactly. But in the end the financial consultants at GM won.
@@kpsig That would be GM who destroyed the company. GM even managed to destroy "Old GM" and "New GM" is not is not responsible for.
My Dad owned 2 Saabs when I was Young , 96 & and 96 wagon.
I think cars Build by Volvo and Saab were over engineered compared to other brands, because of the harsh roads, and Winter climate for these Countries.
Greetings !
Owned 5 Saabs, from a 99, then a few 900’s, then a couple 9-3’s. My first, an 84 900 S went over 350k miles. Once on a ski trip to Vermont, was going up a steep incline in over a foot of snow when I came upon several cars stuck, spun out in different directions. I was riding on true snow tires, Vredesteins at all corners. At a dead stop, my first inclination was to back down the hill and get a running start to attempt to get past the other cars. Instead, I put it in gear, feathered the clutch, and that beast churned through the snow like a tank. I was amazed then, and am still amazed whenever I recall that feeling it gave me. Another time, I went to pick up a clothes dryer I purchased retail and to save money on delivery charges, went to the warehouse to retrieve it. When the guy on the loading dock looked out, he asked where my truck was. I pointed to my 900 and said that’s my car. He said, “it’s not going to fit in there”. I opened the hatch, folded down the seats, slid the dryer in and closed the hatch, he was dumbfounded.
I had a '79 900 Turbo. I retrieved a twin size bed and box springs. Had to remove the spare tire & cover, and placed them sideways, on the floor of the passengers side front seat. Also had to set the front seats as far forward as they'd go. Then I closed the hatch, and drove away (nearly had my chin resting on the steering wheel). Loved and hated that car. Loved to drive it, hated the issues.
Did everyone clap too?
Nice story love it 😁
Deceptively cavernous, and a feature that lived in in the 9-5 Wagon.
My 99’ 93, even with bald tires was pretty good in snow. So good, that Hera later I daily a mustang and in the winter, think I should try to drive places. Lol. Great cars, poor execution and mediocre reliability. Only ever got stranded but 4 times
Adam Sandler is so versatile. I just love him in this new auto series.
Adam Sandler has let himself go!
I saw the resemblance too! Maybe long lost brothers?? lol
Adam Sandler is funny.
Doesn’t this stale, lousy joke get tiring after all these years?
@@Gravy_Master speaking of stale, lousy, tired jokes...
2:51 one of the more satisfying door closings of any modern car. It sounds sooo solid
Imagine if SAAB was alive now and still engineering-driven...
Some of their last work was focused on bio-fuel.
@@johndododoe1411 I really do not like saabs, but credit where credit is due, they had some impressive technology lying around. that is one reasonwhy koenigsegg wanted to buy Saab. so not only bio fuel, they also worked on ways to improve engine efficiency through what koenigsegg call "free valve" which is a valve system with no cam belt/chan, no cams and no lifters and it makes incredible amounts of power without a fuel use penalty due to being infinitely adjustable for power when you need that and efficiency when that is called for.
Well, they still exist and build pretty dawn good fighter jets, so...^^
@@isaks3243 Their bio fuel work was about cars of the future that would be carbon neutral through not involving fossils of ancient carbon capture.
@@johndododoe1411 they had a lot of good work when it comes to reducing their carbon footprint, biofuel is one of those areas. I like the engineering, I just find the cars to be the opposite of what I think is a good looking car. But that is entirely subjective and I fully respect people who love their quirky styling
To other features: the hood slid and tilted forward because that way all of the snow on the hood did not slide back onto your windshield when you opened it.
The dash also has a "Night Panel" function that blacks out all the dash lights except the speedometer. Because jet fighters....
night panel started a lot later with 93 & 95. if this happened in a 900 then it is a fuse issue :)
@@johnyates3946 the 900 will do this, as the gauge cluster is wired to a separate dimmer than the rest of the dashboard lights, it's just not called that specifically. You can dim the dashboard lights, and not the gauge cluster, and vice-versa
I loved night mode. It would even turn the fuel gauge light back on if you started getting low on gas. I wish more manufacturers would copy that feature.
@@audvidgeek Thanks! I thought I remembered that being a feature when my ex was looking at a Saab in the mid 1980s.
@Jason Cammisa My sister in law's 900 Turbo would go through batteries at the rate of one every eight to ten months. We never figured out why. Summers in El Paso didn't help, though. Neither did the exhaust running right next to the battery.
I used to have an old 900 Turbo.
When I got it it was doing an appalling 17 miles to the gallon, so I took it to the local garage for a tune up.
When it came back it was running much better - and did 14 miles to the gallon.
17 MPG? Appalling?? I’m lucky to get 12 🥲
I had a 72 Cutlass with a 350 rocket that got about 14mpg, then I decided I'd rebuild the carburetor. This is probably in 1992 I'd guess when I was in high school. Anywho I got a rebuild kit, had no idea what I was doing, and completely screwed it up, needing to place a piece of cardboard in the intake to hold it wide open since that's the only way I could keep the car running. Anywho, I dropped from 14mpg down to about 9mpg - if I drove conservatively. If I was out racing, it was closer to 7mpg. BUT my god was there always power on demand with no delay.
@@rodmunch69 I've done many things on cars. Stripped engines, repaired transmissions, even changed a piston on a bike on the way to work. But my one and only attempt to refurb a carb was a total disaster. I decided I'd reached the limit of my technical ability.
I had a friend who had an '86 Corvette. On the dash it had a little LCD display that showed instantaneous MPG. His party piece was to point at the display, say "watch this" and floor it. From cruising almost at idle it would go 21...18...14..11..7..3...2....1.....1.....1....
Another SAAB, I mean sob story. I know a few people who owned them and they got 45 mpg but that was behind a tow truck.
@@cravenmorehead8447 😂
Not sure why this appeared in my feed but I really enjoyed watching it! I'm not a car person but in the 80's, my hubby at the time was into Saabs and bought one and found one for me, too. I think it was a 900. (I'm getting old, hard to remember back that far!) Then I believe I got a 9-3, later followed by a used 2002 9-5 Turbo I bought in 2009 which I still have to this day! It's sitting in a garage right now since I'm in another state driving a car gifted to me, but I have refused to give it up, despite friends telling me to get rid of it - it's old - get something new, they say.....
Nah, I use it when I go back "home" plus I became attached to it and feel like it's a part of the family! I've literally teared up at the thought of getting rid of it. Silly I guess, but I always loved the sleek look of it, the roominess of the cabin, the feel of the (heated) seats, the zippy turbo going up the Rocky mountains, the way it took the curves and the feeling of safety I felt driving it. It was a beautiful beast! The only big issue I've had is a random clunk when shifting into drive that started a few years ago. It got fixed a couple of times but always came back after a few months for some perplexing reason. It was concerning but never seemed to affect driving it. Plus, at 16 mpg /city, a trip to the gas station was not a lot of fun, especially now. Anyways, thanks for the memories!
Interesting opening line Susan. I was chatting on my mobile to an old mate about SAAB, in great detail as I have had 'quite a few'. Then this pops up in my feed tonight. Coincidence? Nah - it happened last week on another subject (a particular type of steam engine) Of course, the phone is not 'listening' to you, is it...?
@Stephen Jameson wow. Just, wow.
Hold onto it! It means a lot to you and it’s already a part of history we’ll likely never see again. Very sad.
My friend, Bill Tobe (bless his soul) bought one of these. We were both software programmers/developers. He convinced me that the 900 was technically advanced for its time. Bill always had the latest technical innovations in his home. He would have been pleased with the technology available today since he's been gone 24 years.
I'm sorry for your loss. he sounds like a cool guy
A part of Mr.Tobe is indeed pleased with all techno wonders we have today. The part that keeps living in your memory.
If someone remembered my name and my preferences a quarter century after my death, it would be the best mark of the life I've lived!
@@petergorelov418 wisely put!
If you were ever in Vermont in the late 70s or early 80s you might have noticed every 4th car on the road was a Saab. They sold a ton of them in cold weather states. They were THE quirky car for those who weren’t necessarily car enthusiasts but wanted something to show off their willingness to be different and practical at the same time. Forward thinkers. GM never understood Saab. Now Subaru owns that market. And, like Subaru Saab was big into rallying. I wish Jason would’ve mentioned Erik Carlsson’s antics.
Subaru was also in the aircraft industry, funny enough.
Look in the market place ads or CL.......VT/NH still has a ton of them to offer!
@Jason Cammisa - Those erroneous tests were a long time ago. Thankfully, in today’s digital age the experts are never wrong. That’s what my millennial friends tell me anyway. I wanted you to do a bit on Carlsson because, yeah, there’s a lot of material there, but you do such a good job aping der Cherman akzent I looked fwd to you culturally appropriating the Sveedish. In the name of comedic diversity, of course.
I was there in the late 70's and you are correct. They did not seem to rust out like other cars. I a 99 and liked it, but it did not feel as solid as a Volvo 14X. But it was faster.
with the difference that saab has an iconic design, subaru has an anonymous design like 99.9% of japan cars.
I love the mainstream attention Saabs are getting now. They are brilliant cars that have been underrated for too long
I had a 900 Turbo. It was built like a tank and was very fast for the time. Plus had a massive boot. I had it for 7 years. It was a joy
Saab
My first car was an ‘88 900 Turbo Red coupe (3 door) and I ran it for 200k miles. It was my first car and I adored it. Like he demonstrated, I used to sleep in the back on road trips moving my gear to the front and throwing a sleeping bag in back with seats down (it folded flat). It went cross country four times with college roommates and a girlfriend who became my wife. I have so many memories of great times in that car. It handled amazingly well and I learned to enjoy driving with it. It was also rock solid stable at speed (once did 130 mph in it). I got many speeding tickets in it…
One quirky thing he should have mentioned is that the heater did not work on the middle two vents. This was by design. You could blast the heat on cold winter days, and still get fresh cold air to breathe with from the middle vents. It was also a safety feature as it eliminated the possibility of CO poisoning. It was a typically unique but ingenious design idea which I have missed on every car I’ve owned since. I stayed loyal even after GM acquired them and bought a 2001 9-3 turbo. I had two Saab’s in the driveway for a while. Although this was not an original Saab platform, it retained some of the quirks and great driving character. Definitely miss the company, and was sad to see it die. Oh…and I’m a college professor today…guess the car predicted my future. I drive a manual 2018 Golf R today.
I have a 9-3 SE (5 speed/5 door hatch)
It’s amazing and definitely the best and safest first car
Good review.....enjoyed it
Test drove a used Saab almost four decades ago, and found it rock solid at highway speed, much nicer than a used BMW 3 series I also tested. I was just a teenager that knew nothing about cars, but remember vividly thinking "Wow, that Saab is nice!"
the BMW E46 also has that "feature" with the cold air from the middle vents. you can actually turn a dial to adjust the ratio between "fresh" and heated air
Nice, as a 17 yr old I had a 88 9000 turbo. It was so neat, so many quirks and features. I got stopped in that a few times. Also had it to 135mph and it was fine with 3 people in it. I've always wanted to drive a 900 turbo as a comparison.
Fun Fact: The city of Aspen Colorado had Saab police cars for decades. The city is now trying to convert the fleet to Teslas.
What a shhhame
Vail did too
So then Aspen will have coal powered cars in the streets.
@Def Bet All I care about is that Telas are fucking awesome. The new plaid model is obliterating cars at the racetrack now. 3 engines. 2.0 second 0-60. 9.1 quarter mile. 6.0 1/8th mile.
Wow! They found a car even less efficient than a Scab.
The glovebox lid sent me. My best friend growing up had a 900(non turbo) with a permanent patch from the sticky tape used to hold the lid in place.
I grew up in South Jersey and we had saabs everywhere.. I myself had an 02' 9-3 turbo, she was a top speed highway rocket. 0-60 not so good, 60-140 INCREDIBLE!!! I made a ram air type air box and cranked up the boost and rerouted some of those silly vacuum hoses.. O yeah, my little saab moved
im wondering where all those saabs went. I work at a gas station around the shore (due to map redrawing, i guess southern Jersey) and have only seen 1. I swear to god, I've seen more corvettes than saabs.
U knew when u seen a saab of a certain look... you were dealin with a professional animal with style and a true class act 😂 i had a few, i tried a few of every style n flavor before having a style locked down
Thanks for this episode! I grew up "in" Saab. My father was one of the directors at Saab, Aerospace division. I first met with Per Gillbrand (Mr Turbo) roughly in 1975 as a teenager. I accompanied my father to the Saab engine lab. Over the years me and Per Gillbrand had fantastic conversations. At older age, he always came once a year to my work at Lund Institute of Technology (LTH) to hold a lecture and demonstrate his model engines. This would include running samples of, but not limited to, the Bugatti Veyron engine (ordered by Bugatti themself) and the Rolls Royce Merlin. We always had to shut off the fire alarm system when he came.
Of course my father had one of the 100 pre-series Saab Turbo cars, that luckily coincided with my drivers license 😁.
I sorely miss Per Gillbrand.
PS Per Gillbrand had a genuine, working, Rolls Royce Merlin in his garage.
10:10 correction. 145 hp, at least in Europe.
My dad had a 9-3. It was a lovely car. I'm on the market for a 900 turbo currently, waiting for the right one... One of the cooles car small money can afford to buy (and actually operate) imo.
@@Dispo030 Hi! I think I'm in the market to for a Saab 900 turbo to. Getting nostalgic I guess.
Häftigt! That's so cool!
@@DJTKarlsson Tack så mycket! Jag minns Per med stor glädje och värme. Hans historia om när han startade sin Merlin första gången tåler att berättas igen. Han och frun hade gäster i huset och Per visade runt. I garaget sa gästerna (männen) det självklara, startar den. Per var klar med renoveringen, men hade ännu inte startat den. Efter kanske en fördrink sa Per, vi provar. Merlin motorn hade inte ens dom korta Spitfire avgasrören på. Redan efter ca ett varv sparkade till liv (han hette ju Per Gillbrand). Poängen kommer från hans frus beskrivning i köket intill där damerna var, glasen i vitrinskåpen höll på trilla ut!!
Ha det bra!
@@rudolfabelin383 haha mäktigt! Måste ha skruvats med mycket roligt där under dagarna
I own a Saab 900 and it's really good to drive everywhere, whether your cruising in the city or taking it out on the small backroads. It is a fun cheap car that makes you and people who see it on the road smile. People starts to talk over Saab, about how they have had one before. My first car and I don't think I could have bought something better.
007 had one in the 80s. Nuff said.
grats!!
Makes people smile? Who, mongoloids? When I see one of these ugly cars all it does to me is make me ask if this or a Prius is more offensive looking.
I rolled my 88 900s going 70mph on the freeway. When I crawled out of the window I was covered in grass and dirt from the median but had zero injuries... Well I had a small cut on my heal 😃. Absolutely rock solid fun Uber safe vehicles.
Great video, thanks. It’s a crying shame that SAAB had to close its factory, thanks to the yanks, but I got to enjoy so many over the years, from the 900 right through to a couple of 9-5 Estate cars, with my last 2 being 9-3 convertibles. Still have the latest one. Brought it new in 2006 when I was stationed in Germany and still going strong all these years later, it’s almost show room condition still and the roof has lasted really well too.
Eddie Ed: Like you, I bought my Saab, A 1989 900 Turbo, while stationed in Munich. In 15 mo., I drove it 27,000 mi. When I drove it at Autobahn speeds, I’d get maybe 200 mi. out of a tank of gas, 300 mi. if I eased off the accelerator. When I transferred back to the U.S., I was shocked to learn that, at highway speeds here, I could get 400 mi. out of a tank of gas. In the end, I sold it after 3 yrs. because of the high cost of maintenance and repairs. Plus, I had less disposable income in the states as opposed to Germany. In the end the AC failed; it never cooled the car that well in the first place, but I didn’t notice that as much in Germany with its cooler temperatures. I traded it for a 1993 Toyota Corolla and greatly reduced my car expenses. But having that Saab, especially in Germany, was fun while it lasted.
had to close by GM decision ,they wanted SAAB engeniers to built a new model starting on the vectra chassi ,opel or vauxaul but not taking the quality that vectra as but the second time saab engeniers spent all budget developing a more acurate gps system , it was the last drop ,they (GM) closed the doors and if you know the last models you can notice a incredible decrease in the quality of the car, materials wise, but still made by SAAB
A friend of mine got broadsided by a drunk driver while driving in his SAAB - which after immediately kissing off both the front and rear quarter panels launched his car airborne into a store window front past the intersection (that the drunk ran a red light at). The friend was wearing his seat belt, and was shaken up but otherwise fine (the model didn't have airbags either). Source : me - I saw it happen because I was behind him at that traffic light (which was in retrospect - thanks to no injuries involved - rather comical 'where did he go' 'oh, there he is he's flying through the air'). The car had lost it's hood/bonnet, all tires had blown out on landing, and the engine had shifted 3 feet to the right. Even the front windshield had popped out causing the unsecured contents of the car to fuse to the engine in a strange sort of 'modern art'.
He wanted a cig afterwards to calm his nerves, but considering I could see some ruptured lines (possibly including gas - certainly oil) I suggested he either waited, or moved at least 20 feet from the wreck first. Preferably downwind. The only evidence that he'd been in a crash was a minor scratch from an object that flew by his head when it ejected from the car. In spite of his claims of being 'fine', I suggested he get his neck and back checked at the hospital immediately.
Strangely enough, the reason he was driving the SAAB was because he'd totaled at least 2 others - from collisions with random no-fault incidents (like one involving a deer). After those previous close-calls and car performances, he never drove anything else. Even stranger - the (luckily closed) shop he crashed into was at the time a xerox copy-shop that within a year transitioned to an art gallery called 'CRASH'.
I collided with a moose at highway speeds in my then brand new 1995 900 Turbo. Walked away with only a tiny cut on my hand from broken glass. Car was repaired (took 5 months) and continued to serve me well for a number of years.
The day after the accident when I inspected my car in the shop, it stood next to a similarly sized car of a different brand that had also crashed into a moose at a slightly lower speed (we have plenty of moose in Sweden...).
That car was almost flat (since a moose has the bulk of its 800-1000 pound weight perfectly positioned at eye height when you sit in the car), because unlike the SAAB it did not have the reinforced A pillars required to withstand that kind of force. I looked in. Lots of dried blood. The two occupants were hospitalized in critical condition. It is very likely that I owe my life to the foresight and diligence of SAAB's engineers.
Upwind, you definitely want to be upwind of those gas fumes...
@@fasturd Not while holding a lighter and cigarrette and your ashes fly off or worse your matches flies downwind.
Always knew this was a safe choice. It is inherently compact yet rigid all around that round body much like an eggshell but made of steel. As with any small bodied car it has weaknesses in a side impact. The price you pay for good handling. Also avoid riding in the backseat.
SAAB owners = "That's Deuce!! Come Miffy, lets go out and eat some Fash." {0.o} 🤣
I think my favourite Saab story is when GM took over and sent them an Vauxhall/Opel salon and said "that's your next car, copy that". The Saab engineers then immediately threw away 90% of the car. GM only realised when a top executive drove one and realised that it wasn't a GM infotainment system in the dash.
and they would've gotten away with it to if they had just left the infotainment system in!
@@TheRealSykx I had the car it was based on for 2 weeks. You'd have got rid of that straight away too if you were them.
So sad, GM totally destroyed SAABs ability to make reliable good cars.
@@robals744 they did that themselves. Can't make a good car, if you can't stay profitable.
@@Jessersadler SAAB payed more for each transmission they bought from GM, than you would as a private customer, if you wanted to buy the same transmission as a spare part. There is no way to tell if SAAB was profitable or not.
In 1984 I bought a 1984 Saab 900 Turbo, 5 speed manual, 3 door in Germany. I had it shipped to the US. I drove it every day for 19 years. Loved it.
My Late Father had a 89 Saab 9000 CD turbo. My old man loved the thing so much that he spent thousands to repair it over the duration of his ownership. I remember sitting in the back seat and him turning off the music just to hear the sounds of the turbo echo through buildings and guardrails. Needless to say, they're great cars. Any time I see a saab now, I see my Father. I miss him a lot.
I believe architects were required to buy a Saab upon getting their first gig.
Doctors too, especially in Scotland and Australia.
As one who worked in architecture and got my Saab then, I approve this comment. But don't forget professors and writers, at least those in Hollywood movies.
True. Having Jerry drive a Saab was the closest George Constanza came to being an architect.
I certainly did!!😂😂😂
it actually was called architect's car!
The 1984 900 Turbo that I purchased second hand in 1985 was an amazing, quirky and torquey car. The waste gate whine sounded like the cops were chasing you when you lifted off the gas, it was amazing to drive up and down the Rocky Mountain passes, it held all of my stuff to take to and fro from Chicago to Colorado State University, and it was previously owned by a professor. What it didn't do was break down on the side of the road. It was like driving a jet, and other than excessive body roll it was by far the best all around car I have ever owned. By the time it was well over 250K miles, it was starting to rust, but it was still on the original turbo, original drive train, and still made me smile when the torque steer would come on under load. My only complaint was the crunch I would get from the gear box when trying to shift right before the rev limiter would cut power, and thats probably my error and not the cars fault. I pine over mine every now and then, and seeing this video brought it all back. I rarely see any '84s for sale in any condition, which leads me to believe that everyone who had a 1984 900 turbo hatch drove it into the ground like I did. Because thats what the car wanted you to do. Not only that, this one had every option you could imagine. Rear window louvers, off road suspension (factory sways and struts) triple trumpet horns, heated seats, molded plastic and carpeted floor mats, foglight covers that you would flip up manually, (and if you forgot, would melt from the heat of the fogs), European full cover light housings without the wipers, a take with you beeper that would tell you if the alarm was going off when way from the car. One part that would consistently break were the color matched plastic hinge covers for the rear deck. After a while you just left them off. It was my first "fat radius" steering wheel car, and I remember how cool it was to have to put the car in reverse to pull the key out. Even the climate control was amazing, especially the heater and defrost, as you can imagine. Great video, thanks for the memories.
I've had a cupple of early nineties 900 turbo's back in the early 2000s solid and reliable and cheap to fix especially with a dad who's a SAAB TRAGIC and knows every screw bolt nut and quirk they have 🙄 one of my dad's best friend's Han's did his motor apprenticeship at the SAAB factory in the late sixties and here in Aotearoa new zealand he's known as Doctor SAAB
Great story thanks…
I have three 1992-93 5door c900 that I’ll never part with in original condition, two in manual, cruise control, sunroof, turbo…
That was excellent. My Dad had a couple of Saabs a bit later on and they were supremely comfortable cars. He had a Saab CD and then a 9000cse.
Both cars were lovely but the 9000CSE was especially opulent.
It had a 2.3 4-pot with a low pressure turbo and was quick without being hair on fire quick but had the best leather interior I'd ever seen at that point.
Amazing luxury car.
Saabs passing was a very sad thing. I hope someone buys it and starts making cars under that name again. It would do well as a Volvo high end brand I think.
My first memory of saab was my friends parents having one of the 2-stroke cars for years. I used to look at it and instinctively know it was a cool car. No-one had one like that.
The guy was engineer for Ferranti and was an excellent engineer.
My Dad was an engineer too so maybe Saabs appeal to Engineering types.
Luv and Peace.
I had four SAABs, brilliant and comfortable with great handling from the double wishbone suspension. I also had an NSU RO80, that was way ahead of its time.
i had 8 saabs and agree with you, my NSU had a record player in it´s car audio center by the dash, a radio record player
My first car was an ‘87 Saab 900S, and I have been chasing the functionality, realizability, and fun of it ever since.
I had one too, same year; what do you mean by realizability?
@@patrickwilliam3322 I’ve only just noticed that typo. I definitely meant “reliability” (which I know is sometimes contentious, but I never had any major issues with the car. Just a handful of fiddly things).
@lne001 How do you know the Tesla is better after 2 years?
OMG, what a spoiled d-bag kid you must have been.
I owned a 1987 Saab 900S when I was stationed in Ft Sill, OK. I have very fond memories of that car and have always wanted to find one like it.
Thank you soo much for this my Dad is an ASE master tech and bought my Mom a Saab 900 turbo convertible like 7 years ago. I showed them this video and it was the first time I ever saw my mom interested in cars! By the end my mom looked to me and my dad (her personal technicians for all her cars) and said omg I had no idea my Saab was so special!!! She may not know what it means to have a chain driven transmission but she now knows just how special her little summer car truly is!
Hagerty truly owned my sub here, producing videos that not only my dad and I and gearheads alike will love, but putting it in a format where my own mother who knows nothing about cars can also grow to love her own vehicle!!
Way way back when I was kid and knew nothing about cars, I loved the Saab 900 turbo just on looks alone and it had a reputation for being fast.
Great review as always Jason C :-)
The best series on UA-cam hands down
Even better than ICONS?
1000% this
Finally it’s starting to get the views like it
Thank you for that! We loved our 1997 SAAB 9000 Aero and drove it until the floorboards rusted out. If I remember right, it may have been the fastest production sedan of it's day. It was incredibly solid and safe. It saved our lives when one lovely mid fall morning my wife and I were side swiped by a drunk driver weaving down a 2 lane road beside a river in Wisconsin, striking the left front quarter panel (could have pushed us into the drink- pun not intended). It was a direct hit, but drivable and I was able to give chase and detain the other driver until the police came. LOVE THAT CAR.
i think lotus omega was fastest production sedan back in the days... pretty crazy numbers if you look up... :)
Ooooo I love that model :D!! A perk living in North Sweden is that stuff don't rust XD. So you can come across some old car from ages ago in a barn with NO rust :D. Its awesome
@@SvenskSork how?
Fascinating video well presented; thank you. I had a Saab 99 as my first car. It cost me £500, bought from a chap who was emigrating to Sweden. By the time I had it the headlamp wipers and heated seats no longer worked, and the headlamp washers would soak passing pedestrians. It was expensive to run, and did about 25 or 26 miles to the gallon, but it was a joy to drive, and I once drove it from Kinloch Rannoch in Scotland to Winchester (over 500 miles and 9 hours) in one sitting. By the time I parted with it the car had done more than 300,000 miles.
Engine sound gave me goosebumps. My dad drove a 99 and a 900 back in the day. Still remember the exact sound the engine made while shifting down, thus revving up, while pulling into the parking lot.
That drive at the end was tremendously satisfying. The audio quality made me re-listen to that part of the video. LOVE the sound of that gearbox!
The most amazing thing I ever saw on a motorway was a Saab 93 overtaking me, just coming up to heavy traffic, braking from what looked like 150 MPH to 50 MPH in 2 seconds easily in time for the traffic jam up ahead.
Most amazing Saab thing I’ve seen was a young man in a modified 9000 turbo cruising on Interstate 81. Pulled up next to him to give him thumbs up only to see his passenger “pleasuring” the driver. Gave him even more enthusiastic thumbs up and drove away.
@@TermiCobraKid Ha! if it was interstate 91 it very well could have been me.
@@quarrydawg5424 Who was the driver?
@@jonasthemovie Ha! well done.
Thanks to my dad back in '70's and early 80's I was able to drive both the 99LE he had first, my first manual to learn on. Then he upgraded to a 900Turbo - sweet car, black with aggressive looking wheels, car sounded faster than it was but in those days was great. Those two cars, especially the 900 Turbo have made me always gravitate to sportier performing manual transmission sedans ever since. Again, thanks Dad!!
Wonderful video. Jason is currently one of the best five car commentators in the industry (even if I don’t agree with his views on the mk8 GTI which I own and love-haptic buttons and everything!). Just wish he would have found a better example than that beryl green coupe 900. All kinds of issues with that car. Later model with a flat nose conversion, wheels of a later model 9000, hooky modern mini fog lights, etc. but these cars are wonderful. I own six Saabs and have had 13 in the family over the years. Well done!
I just love how that glove box refuses to close while he is drving the car. And it opens while he is accelerating so everything falls out and spreads nicely across the car. It gives you a full experience of owning a Saab.
Totally!
Yeah, i miss my SAAB too. ;)
It wasn't just exclusive to SAAB, Volvo also had this very same problem with the 200 series. All of them the glovebox door would open after a bump in the road.
...thank the thief who broke into the glovebox to show us everyone the Saab DID....in fact.....install cup colders...by install I mean imprint a circle on the back of the glovebox door...
Haha its the same on Volvo 740-940🤣 they do that to
I had a '92 9000cd and I still remember it as the favorite of any car I've had. It was so solid and enjoyable to use. 2 BMWs and a Volvo later, I'm still reminiscing about that gorgeous little green tank.
We had a 92 CS that was blazing fast and handled better than any car we ever had . . . electrical glitches abounded toward the end of owning it. Arrest me RED!
Had one, too. 9000 was best car ever.
I have a SAAB 9.3 turbo convertible. It's a 2005 and I bought it in 2017 with 67,000 kms on it, perfect paint, perfect roof... still feel SO lucky. Beautiful, fast responsive car, silver arrow, great cream leather interior with fantastic seats that are amazingly great on the lower back. Not a single mech issue in 5 years. Great to have Swedish jet fighter engineers build you a car!
My dad was an avid Saab man, I have pictures of his 92/94 in the snow in Andorra - the last was a 99, then he went Honda… only due to supply issues after his 99 was written off.
About 12 years later I got my 900 Turbo - loved it, usably quick, huge interior and the most comfortable drive ever!
The reason why they put the handbrake on the front was to use it as a means of being a cheap limited slip diff. When you got in snow and got wheelspin , you pull the handbrake to stop the wheelspin and get traction 👍
I love Saabs but never knew that! Cool
Parking break that for some reason he calls an " E " break for what for an emergency ? Have you ever used it in an emergency not me in any car.
@@Mr.Robert1 It's called emergency brake because if for some reason the regular brakes would fail, you can still use the E-brake to slow down.
@@Mr.Robert1 you are probably a bit young for it is the reason, back in the day with single circuit brakes, if you got a leak in them, you needed a means of stopping alternatively. Dual circuit brakes where just coming in, in the 70's. After that and into the 80's everything had dual circuit brakes, and brake failure became much rarer.
Wait, so if my rear wheel drive truck slips in snow and I tighten up the ebrake the other wheel will also engage?
My Saab Turbo 5-speed was amazing. Mine lasted 180k miles before the turbo blew up. On the way back from Yosemite, filled with 2 adults 2 kids 2 dogs and 2 bikes on the rack. 2nd gear 40-70 was insanely insanely fast. I had an intimate relationship with my mechanic so it was extremely reliable to the very end. Should have replaced the turbo and kept it.
It's insanely easy to do. Front mount turbo unlike most new cars.
Extreme amounts of comments,...... Our family 900 lasted more than 400.000 miles, beyond which i regretted not having rustproffed it better for salty north sea winds,.....
Best car show on UA-cam hand down. WHAT A PRESENTER!!!
My dad worked for Scania trucks, back in the day when it was called Saab-Scania. It was naturally for the workforce within Scania to drive Saabs, so he did as well. The Saab I remember most was his carburated 900 GLS, a lovely spacious grand tourer we went hollidaying withit in Italy and France. I remember me and my little sister sitting in the bagage compartment, when the 900 was doing 190kmh on the Autobahn not exactly safe, but aweinspiring swift for a 12 year boy. When we got to Italy there were another scandinavian family with a Saab 900, this was a Turbo however, and their dad knew he had a higher status, and teased my father about that. My father just laughed and never let it get to him. Later my dad got a crush on BMWs, but thats a totally different story. The SAAB 900 is a big part of my car upbringing in the 80ies, a tank of a car, which were quite soothing.
My daily driver is a 900 from 1992. There's never anything wrong with it. And I've got a 1991 900 convertible for summer use. Works great as well. A late model (old style) 900 is incredibly reliable, if you take good care of it.
SAAB really was a wonderful company
Till gm bought them
@@mirkolazar9250 They were wonderful till the very end, I've owned both classics and the very last 9-5. They are Saabs through and through.
The 3 door hatchback (first introduced in 1978 with the 99) was an awesome layout. With the rear seat laid down, the cargo space was mega. Moved furniture. My race go-kart fit back there along with all the accompanying codswallop. I never needed a tent for camping, just slept in the Saab. I remember one late season (May or June) ski trip to Mammoth Mountain. I awoke on the Sunday morning and popped the hatch. There was over a foot of snow sitting atop the rear bumper. Other campers were looking fairly miserable. If you're not properly prepared/equipped, camping in snow is horrendous. Me, I just slid into the driver's seat and cruised up the ski area.
Great video - I still miss my 1985 & 1986 900 Turbos 😁
It was a bit painful when the auto gearbox on the '86 went but still great memories. Great motors 👌
Yuppies loved this car along with the early Jeep Cherokee Classics. They were everywhere in the northeast corridor of the US.
Vermont, 1973-1990. My mom had a 900 turbo, sister a 740 wagon turbo, father, boxy Jeep Cherokee. Me, 79' CJ5. We were far from yuppies. Parents were hippies actually...
My grandmother drive am early 900 because it was safe in accidents, and swedish, which our family was as well. Also, as stated she was a church going Lutheran, salt of the Earth. What this car allowed her to was drive fast around our country gravel roads. She loved to drive fast, or get there fast, and that little 5 speed fuel injected 4 cylinder get up and got. She was a 2nd generation immigrant, musician and businesswoman, not a yuppie. And what does it have to do with anything? These cars were great. Jeeps are just a different ball game together and they have cult followings. Very small minded and judgemental post is not relevant.
Another reason the SAAB was popular in the NE was because it was FWD, which was better in the heavy snow.
@@TriptoCo 240 was a yuppi wagon too
@@henrik1743 Yup. Lol
The '76 99 gl was my first car in '87, (scored it for $600). At the time thought how awesome it was then and to know almost 35 years later that it really was the best made car I've ever owned, bar none. Jeremy did an amazing eulogy for Saab after it's demise on top gear a few years back featuring a black 900 turbo. Very well done, worth a watch.
It was more than a black 900 which was infact a 99 turbo, they ran through saabs history as a whole right from the 92 to the last 9-5
I've had three Saabs starting with a used '78 that had been owned by a doctor in Denver that I traded my Toyota Corolla in on. That car went from Denver to Baltimore, then to New Mexico, and then back to Baltimore with zero problems and many miles put on the odometer. Some years later I sold that one (to another doctor in Baltimore) and bought a brand new '87, that I dearly loved, but unfortunately a woman in a Buick made a left turn in front of me in Arizona and I plowed into her right front fender and totaled it out. But, because they were so well made in a 50mph accident the car took the brunt of it and I was uninjured other than a case of frontal whiplash. Much to my dismay I was only given $6700 for a car that was in perfect condition with only 65k on it from the insurance company. Had I been in Vermont I'm sure it would have been a different story, but they were not as appreciated in AZ.
My next one I owned was a Scarab green '94 convertible that I drove all over the country, from Denver to FL to Washington State and points in between. The only thing thing about the convertibles though is they were a bit unstable above 100 mph with the top down. Below that though it was a pleasure driving them. I rememver was going through Louisiana one night at midnight and a caravan of tractor trailers passed me like I was standing still (I was doing 80 at the time) so I floored it and followed them until they started to hit over 100 and then I had to back off even following in their slipstream. What a trip that was though.. to be doing over 100 behind more than a dozen guys in big rigs flying down the road on a hot summer night in Cajun country, and with the top down to boot.
A couple of years later I took a trip in that same car with my brother to northeast Nebraska to visit my aunt, and I decide to floor it on the back roads of NE to see what it would do, but much to my dismay it started to float about 105 or so. That was quite a disappointment because I really wanted to push it as far as it would go and see if I could hit 150. I thought it was probably capable of that, but the aerodynamics of that body style wouldn't allow it, especially with the top down, so I backed off before we became airborne, much to the relief of my brother.
I really wish Saab was still in business and made by Saab because they were some of the finest cars in the world back in the day before GM drove them into the ground. They gave me some of the best driving experiences of my life.
My dad is a saab lover ( maybe because his mother is swedish ) he owns a saab 99 1974, a saab 900s and a saab 9000 2.3 turbo. He bought the 900 s when he was 25 yo and made over 200 000 km and never had a problem the car is incredibly reliable and has its original clutch !! I personally just bought a saab 95 aero 2.3 turbo one week ago and i hope i gonna love her but i haven't a doubt....
As an owner of five (and with a history of over 30), I approve this feature.
Wtf you have 5 saabs
Love it. Got 4 myself 👌 and 2 of them are 99
Yup, a red 1975 4dr 99 2.0L automatic, a white 1987 2dr 900 Turbo16 sedan(/notchback), a black 5dr 1988B 9000 CC Turbo, a 2005 9-3 Aero Convertible (Lime Yellow) and a 2009 9-3 2.0T SportCombi XWD Automatic..
@@t1mpetti Nice i thought you were joking but no
Are you that one guy that owns like 19 Saab's and parks them all on one street
Thanks for this.
My step-dad traded an Alfa Romeo Sport Sedan for a 1979 Saab 99GL. That car was fine, but it gave way to a 1980 900 Turbo about a year later. The 900 Turbo was everything an 8th grade aspirational gearhead could want. It was full “Darth Vader” spec. Black over red velour, 3 door, spoiler and Inca wheels.
In 1981 we moved to Stuttgart Germany (Patch Barracks) and the car moved too. Balls out, the car would do 130mph on the Autobahn, so that’s how fast we went pretty much everywhere. Near the end of the tour while going to Brussels the turbo failed and the Saab died in a fire on the right shoulder of the Autobahn. Apart from that, it was very reliable and was replaced with a pair of non-turbo 900s upon return stateside.
I’ll always have fond memories of these cars and the creation of another lifelong car person. Interestingly, our fleet contains an Alfa Romeo Sport Sedan, but not a Saab 900 just yet. The right one will pop up eventually.
My first car was a 87 900 turbo and I remember going to look at cars with my dad and saw this white 900 turbo and fell in love immediately! This was in like 1996 and he's says to me are you sure you want that and I'm like yup I want it. I think we paid like 2k for it and to this day it's probably my favorite car. Could be just because it was my first car but it was so different from what any of my friends had and it was such a great driver's car. I've always wanted to buy one again and fully restore it but I don't want to ruin my view of it as I don't think it would be as amazing as it was to teenage me.
Gotta enjoy the glovebox opening whenever it felt like it at the end of the video
I miss my SAABS! I started with a black 1975 99 EMS (the EMS had racing stripes that ran below the side glass around to the roof line). After I had a slight accident with it, I brought it to our local SAAB dealer(it had its own body shop), Wigwam SAAB, in Providence, RI, the 1st SAAB dealer in eastern USA if not in the country. Sitting in the shop was a 1983 black 900 Turbo with louvers, Creager style wheels, fog lights, sports steering wheel, tan leather and all the silly chrome strips on the bumpers and side squirts removed... I had to have it! Thank you Don Gregson!! I drooped the rear seats and put my parts and tools and went out to install and service Hunter alignment equipment during the week and auto-crossed it on Sundays in the Cape Cod Sports Car Club. I later bought my friend's orange '72 96 with the 4-speed shifter on the column(RI reg plate # KEMO), it was fun driving it around town. I had a 1978 3 door 900 I bought for back up while I was rebuilding the tranny (I had bought a front-end shop by then). I also still have in storage a 1988 900 4 door, it was still running great with 320,000 miles. I later bought an '88 900 Turbo SPG with low miles, by that time the Turbo was a 16 valve and it could fly! After rebuilding that transmission(the output shaft bearings wore from excessive torque from the turbo), some idiot talking on her cell phone rear-ended me stopped at a light while doing at least 45 mph and pushed me into the 4x4 in front of me. She totaled it, but the driver's door opened and closed like nothing happened. I found another silver 900 Turbo in Saranac Lake, NY and took a lot of the salvageable SPG components off and turned this one almost SPG...lol. SAABs were really awesome, I could replace a clutch in 2-2 1/2 hours, it was the easiest car I ever had to work on.
i used to have a 2004 saab 9-5 aero, it was tuned and it brought the so much joy
thank you for bringing light to such a hidden gem of a car manufacturer
Heck yeah tuned 2004 9-5 Aero club! was yours a sedan or wagon?
I bought a 900 Turbo after I got married and had a kid (well actually my wife had the kid:), anyway, one of the most fun to drive/useful/ family friendly/safe/ and still fun to drive cars I ever owned:)
It's okay. People believe men can have babies now. Even Google says so lol.
Takes two to make a kid!
@@reinbeers5322 The lexicon reflects a generational difference between us :)
My parents bought a 1986 and 1987 900. We were very impressed with the G forces from the turns. Those Pirelli tires had some serious grip. Minimal body roll. And the car held the road beautifully. A lot less bounce than the one on screen. My mother survived a 60 mph collision in her 86 with a 1 ton pickup that pulled out from a side road while it was trying to cross in front of her. It picked the truck up and threw it across the road. The front of the car accordianed and the engine dropped below the cabin, like it was design to. My mother's chest bent the top of the steering wheel and broke her left pinkie. Other than that, she was perfectly fine. In any other car, she might have been seriously injured or dead. No intrusion into the box, at all. I got to drive my dad's 87 when my car's engine threw a rod. It was such a dream to drive. My parents' only complaint was the reliability of the engine. The way they explained it was, about 3 in 10 of the cars were excellent with no problems. My dad's was one of the 3 out of 10. My mom's was one of the others. But not that bad.
The second I saw the thumbnail, I instantly KNEW the Saab 900 was always ripe for a Jason video 🙌🙌🙌
My first car was a 1982 Saab 900 that I built from two cars and spare parts at my dad's shop. Had 7 total over the years. Great cars and ahead of their time for sure. Dad was one of the first SAAB master technicians in America.
That's cool. I hope you learned lots from your dad. Definitely would be a great skill.
@@123andme absolutely!
I had an '82 900 Turbo for about a year. I loved that car. It was beautiful - deep burgundy with tan interior. Power windows, heated seats, etc. And when that turbo kicked in (after a slight lag) it would pin me against the seat. It cornered well too. It was just a blast to drive. The biggest problem I had with it was that, since it was so beautiful, it kept attracting attention. My wife and I went to a movie once and when we got back to the car someone had literally ripped the rear spoiler off, leaving pieces and chunks of it in spots. They also used a screwdriver or something on all the door locks, bending them all to hell. They did not get into it though. A while later, someone cut all the weatherstripping around the rear window and lifted the window out in the middle of the night. They got inside and were trying to remove the stereo when they set the alarm off. It obviously wasn't a very sensitive alarm. They left the radio behind but did take a boom box that my wife had left in the car. By then we were getting tired of having to keep filing insurance claims and getting it fixed. Mechanically, we'd never had any trouble with it but, like I said, we only owned it for a year. I also worried about the lack of an intercooler. So we decided to sell it. That was about 30 years ago and I still miss that car.
I had two Saabs in the early 1990s, a Red Arrow and a T16S. I have owned many other brands and now own a BMW GT. But when it comes to cars, I only have one love, Saab. I still get goosebumps when I see these images.
When no other than Jeremy Clarkson raves about how "fantastic" the 900 is, you know it really is something special.
Well...watch his very lukewarm review of the 9-5 that basically said " not bad, but buy a 5-series BMW instead".
He never said much good about Saab when they were in business so I found his 2011 obituary of Saab a bit hypocritical.
@@notroll1279 In the Tribute To Saab segment he and James both talk about the ups and downs of Saab. When you think of Saab, you think of the 99/900. And Jeremy and James both recalled experiences they had in 80's Saabs. James most notably remembering the cars little details and not the girls name who owned it. They were a company we all over looked. They had a weirdness to them, that only appeals to some buyers. I find their quirks great, but the average consumer isn't going to like that. Its a car you only miss, once it's gone. And that will always be their stigma.
@@TougeSolo I watched the segment myself, obviously - and Clarkson's lacklustre one about the Saab 9-5 from the late nineties.
Never did I see anything really positive about a Saab model or the company coming from Clarkson or May while the company was alive.
It was a bit like writing a fond obituary about a former employee you just fired a few weeks ago.
The honest thing for them would have been to say "interesting but never good enough" - or nothing at all.
For 9 years, I've been driving a Saab 9-5 now. Unlike Clarkson, I never felt the urge to race a Sea Harrier fighter jet with it so I hardly ever noticed its slight understeer.
I think that over time, the Saab holds up a lot better than its contemporary BMW, Audi and Mercedes counterparts - and that's what I love it for.
@@notroll1279 I fully understand that. Sometimes TopGear held expectations a little to high for some cars. The Saab was for sure one of the many victims of that. Well, at least Top Gear the TV Show. The magazine reviews tend to be more favorable for the common cars we tend to buy, instead of lust after. Take the Porsche Boxster. Always got a good ribbing on the show, but when you read the magazine review completely different. Sometimes they focused a little too much on being entertaining and personal preference over actual buyers advice. But I suppose that's why we kept watching for so many years.
I love the extra button
It does…something
And they look nicer than alot of today's cars,Saab made incredible vehicles and it's such a shame that they ended up on GM'S desk only to be axed, bring them back!.
Minus anyone involved with GM.
SAAB’s quirky ways were probably as far removed from GM’s economies-of-scale philosophy as you can possibly imagine. This couldn’t work out. But then again, how long can a company keep its technological edge anyway? When SAABs turned into rebadged, more expensive Opels, they sadly became irrelevant.
@@stevieray6216 Well. I own a 2003 9-5, and yes it is based on an Opel, but they are still completely different cars. Saab always did things their own way. Ironically they'd might still be around if they did what they were told and just rebadged som Opels...
Did you ever see the segment on TopGear with Capt Slow?
Turns out initially when GM forced the Opel on them to rebadge. Saab took it all apart and built what passed muster for them. (Reimagined it )
Pissing GM off. 😂
@@Torsee yrp. GM said 'here's your new chassis'. Saab said 'cool, we redesigned the whole thing because it sucked'
My sister had an '87 900S... "we" loved it... drove crazy good!
The glove box at the end had me dying lol
Gone too soon 😢
From putting on the engine backwards to getting trashed by the community as bargain bin Subarus, we will never forget the golden years of this Swedish strongholds
slightly nicer Subaru in the 9-2x 😂 I seriously considered finding an aero way back
Hear me out: the best car Saab ever made was the 2005 9-5 Aero wagon.
@@lgunderso2117 that's what I drive. Practical, fun and will outpace most of the cars on the road (mine has tweeks).😎
@@topspoke I absolutely loved my slightly tuned 04 for the 7 years I owned it, but it got tboned and the only other 9-5 Aero wagon I could find with ventilated seats was an 06. I really miss the superior interior of the 04.
My mom has an 05 and it has a few things that are slightly better, like the upgraded ABS module and gas tank door, though I liked the vented rear rotors in the 04.
They're fantastic cars for embarrassing muscle cars while hauling a twin size bed.
The swan song cars were leftover Subarus and Lancias.
They still wanted to re-engineer them, which was pretty neat but they couldn’t afford to.
How nice to hear something intelligent about car history: great job Jason! As always 😉👍🏻
When my friend lent me his Saab in 1980, he warned me about one thing. He said, "If you leave the ground be sure to keep the wheels straight for the landing."
I completely forgot about how nice these were, kinda makes me want one now
me too!
@@jonothandoeser the prices aren't bad
You mean hideously ugly?
@@rodmunch69 Well... YOu're not European... so...
@@jonothandoeser that is correct, people in Europe like ugly things, like women with hairy airpits, who, in fact, are very likely to drive these cars.
In 1978 I bought a 1969 Saab 96, and kept it until 1985. It didn't feel like a 'car' it was more like a pet; it was so simple, so smart, friendly. One characteristic I will always remember was older Saab owners (I mean, older cars not older owners) always blinked their headlights whenever crossing paths with another older model Saab. And when I sold it (I was a RISD student then), two students got in a bidding war that drove the indended price up almost 80% (!), so I ended up selling it for more than what I paid for eight years earlier! And in those years I drove it, changed the oil and filters, and the only significant mainetenance I did was to change the break pads, and two front rotors, I mean, besides changing tires and shock absorbers. Nothing else, and I must have put at least 120,000 miles on it. I loved that car!
Yeah imagine if you still had it. SAAB cars is collectibles just as Porsche now. Especially since the car manufacturer is no more, but the plane(SAAB) and truck(Scania) manufacture is still going very strong.
Brake, not break.
@ Grey Jay Really? Are you so neurotic that you nitpick spelling mistakes in comments like this? Then you proceed to correct people? Nothing else better to do with your time? Guess not.
@@greyjay9202 Chill, not everyone is live in a English speaking country
@ Benny Boy it was just a silly spelling mistake while writing in a haste on a cell phone. I probably have a much greater command of the English language than that fraulein complexed schmuck, so preoccupied with nit-picking other people's spelling mistakes. PS -"not everyone is live in an English speaking country". Do you? Doesn't seem like it.
Smooth and effortless was a great explanation of the turbo engine. I had a 2004 Saab 9-3 SE convertible (which was recently totalled 😔) and it drove unlike any other car I have owned the way it got up to speed was as you say effortless it felt like there were no strain or fuss. It was fun on twisty mountainess roads but it was in perfect harmony on the highway. Also unlike other cars it felt better the faster you go and it was also effortless at high speeds you can just smoothly cruise at 130mph it felt like the faster you go the more planted to the road it got. I was sad when it got totalled.
I always admired Saab, brand even when I was a kid, bc I knew then that they were aircraft manufacturers and had such fascination to it.
Down the memory lane in the 2000's onwards stopped seeing these on the roads and forgot about. Thanks Jason for the beautiful recollection of this engineer's marvel.
My 89 Saab 900 Turbo hatchback was the most fun, most useful car I’ve had, and I’m 60 now. 30 mph hiway without using the turbo, tons of fun when you do. And that “dorky” rear arabesque curve is a thing of beauty.
The fold-down-flat rear seat made a 6 foot bed in back. I moved people’s couches with it, like a pickup. Front drive great on snowy Vermont ski trips, cornered on rails in summer. And the Scottish leather interior was the best looking (and smelling !) ever. The stereo (which slid out for safekeeping) even came with a graphic equalizer !
Just don’t keep it past 80k miles, when the big expensive parts start to fail ! Oh well. I only paid $12K for it, 3 years old and not a scratch on it. If it had been more durable, I’d still be driving it today.
I have 97’ Saab turbo . She runs amazing I’m never giving her up bought her at 99,000 miles 1 year ago.
My friend's dad handed one down to him (the 900 S Turbo). He bought it new and i am SO envious
@@jackl2383 you’ll find your special one lol I didn’t know it now but there is an entire group of Saab lovers all over the world.
I dont think you bought this car unless you post a video of this car.
Back in the late 1990s, I had a 900 that was built in 1984... It was a superb car, and totally reliable. Underneath, the paint was so good, it was like it was a third it's age. Everything worked and, over the seven years we kept it, it went straight through four of its seven annual MOT inspections needing no work whatsoever. I still get nostalgic about it, it was certainly one of the best cars I've ever had. When we sold it, it had done almost 150,000 miles and was running as well as ever. A great car.
The 1967 SAAB model 96 V4 was my first car, and it was sweet! It was front wheel driven and had a "free wheeling""option you could access. It let you shift gears w/o the clutch, and let the car coast free from transmission drag. You could power up hills and coast (free wheel) down, saving fuel. It handled snowy roads like a boss with its front wheel drive and motor/transmission position up front. A lot of little innovations were also present. My only complaint would be that to replace the clutch, one had to pull the engine/transmission assembly from the car to get to it. This job was listed in Chilton's guide as an 8 hour operation for an average trained mechanic!
I have only owned manual transmissions and they all had freewheel down hills.... it's called not being lazy and taking the car out of gear yourself. I have always done this because - I don't like using the engine as the brakes, and I'd rather wear out brake pads than camshafts, and engines always get hot pulling you up the hill, slipping it in neutral and coasting down the back lets it run at idle speed while lots of air blows over it, cooling it even more. It just makes sense doing it.
@@56squadron Only, on cars with fuel injection it wastes fuel because the fuel supply is actually cut off when coasting in gear. And even on old carburator engines you won't save any mentionable amount of fuel because the throttle is closed all the same and there's only a tiny bit of air coming through the idle bypass.
Also, the water pump runs more slowly in idle, reducing coolant circulation and thus effectively reducing the cooling effect on any water-cooled engine in comparison to coasting in gear.
For the younger generation, you cannot imagine the presence this car exuded when you saw it in person. The front sweeping windshield reminds me of my 1973 VW Superbeetle ❤.
My 1986 Saab 900 Turbo was the best car I've ever owned. One thing not brought up in this video was when you folded the back seats down, you could fit a 4 by 8 piece of plywood or drywall flat in the back . Amazing!
As a former SAAB owner, and also many euro cars. The SAAB is the only one I wish I never sold.
Same, I had an '89 900 turbo. I would argue their rarity now, you just can't find 3 door hard top anymore. It's easier to find a classic Porsche
Thanks for this piece; it brings back lots of memories (I owned 4 Saabs, the last of which was an ill-fated GM model - which still lasted 12 years). One of the things I remember now (re: the Tesla of their time) was a concept car they showed in the 90's with solar panels that were used to power an AC unit (IIRC) in the rear fender well, and they talked about using it during hot weather to keep the car cool while you were shopping (, etc.). I don't think there was another car manufacturer, at that time, that was thinking solar. It's a shame they ended the way they did.
My perception may be slightly cynical, but it certainly appears that GM has a bad habit of buying small, unique car companies (SAAB and Holden for example) and syphoning the best bits off and then closing the company. The 1977 SAAB 99 EMS that I bought new was ( in my opinion) a very good Swedish version of a BMW 2002. The SAAB was far more comfortable but I think the BMW handled better, although both were excellent road cars. I owned new examples of both of these cars and still am driving my 8th BMW since 1969, with 205,000+ miles on it. That's an E46, 330xi. That '77 EMS would still be an excellent road car and would still be one of the safest cars on the road... without having any explosive bags in your car.
Mid-to-late 90s, my dad had a coworker that had a 1981 Saab 900 Turbo she wanted to sell. I can't remember, but I think it came after my 1985 Chevy Caprice Classic.
I was 18 and I really did have a crush on that car, but I never truly appreciated it until many, many years later.
Long story short, every few months, I scour the internet for it or a similar one, but they are NOT easy to find for sale.
I have looked for close to a decade now, and still haven't found one like the one I had.
British Racing Green
Big rubber spoiler
Those "pyramid" (that is what I called them, don't come at me if it is wrong) style wheels
And a sunroof that would stick in the chills of winter
I will continue looking for as long as I continue to drive!
One of my college roommates had one of these around 1985 or so. Black, and fast as hell, especially through the hills of Schenley Park in Pittsburgh.
Finally, recognition! What a great and spot on review of the Saab 99 and 900! Thank you!!! All the things you told are so spot on, and you didn’t even ment Saab SDI; Nope not Star Wars… it was Saab Direct Ignition. A seperate bobine for every cylinder! And much much more technical evolutions.
I bought my first Saab in 1986 (a 99…), and my last in 2000: a black 900 Turbo 16s aero from ‘92, the last real Saab. After GM took over for me it were no real Saab’s anymore….. Just look at that red 900 Turbo in this review; even now in 2021 it still looks stunning!!
22 years old and I love learning about when cars before my time and see how things that I thought were new really weren’t bc they’ve 100% been done before. Thanks Jason for educating me haha! 👍🏾
I just discovered Jason's videos - what a wonderful personality
I'm fortunate enough to own a 5 Speed R Vin 1996 Saab 9000 Aero at 20 years old, I picked the car up for 3,750 CAD & it's been the best decision of my life so far.
The car has 209,000 Miles (338,000 KM or so) & yet never fails to roll over another mile. She has been repainted once with a cheap spray that's sadly peeling in areas, the front fenders have some rust bubbling that I've controlled by waxing the car, theres some scratches here & there, Cracked front seats & a cracked windshield due to an ice storm. But never fails to make me smile, despite the few small issues the engine is almost completely stock. All I've done is minor maintainence such as upper coolant hose, Clutch replacement, master cylinder, Coolant expansion tank & ive installed a K&N Air Filter, Bilstein B6 Shocks & a pretty heavy duty BOV with a Pressure setting. Previous owner did a Gasket replacement on the Exhaust manifold & few small things here & there.
For 30 years old the frame is spotless! I've repainted the underneath again & sanded away anything that would be deemed as a threat!
The car is unimaginably perfect to me & many others & I can't wait to roll this car to 384,000 KM. The distance to the moon!
Saab Truly built some of the greatest vehicles.
Teslas are two a penny, the 99 Turbo was a much rarer beast even in it's day. Saab 99 Turbo or Tesla ? Saab all day long....
Just imagine what more insane and cool stuff SAAB would be coming up with if they were alive today. Shame they went under…
I challenge everybody that "Historians" are gonna speak about Teslas the same way you are speaking about SAAB today. There's lots of evidence in history that, what was once hated (when it was current) later became beloved (when it wasn't current anymore). That's how the mass human psychology works. FYI Jesus was the most hated person in his time but, now it is completely opposite.
Saabs were everywhere back in the day. Your statement couldn't be more wrong. Jason even made that point several times in the video. 🤣
@@erickirshner2810 Right....10,607 Saab 99 Turbos were manufactured from 1977- 82 yet 3.5 million Teslas have been made....all models have sold more than 10,607 apart from the original Roadster. Don't believe me.....check it out for yourself.
@@WileyFox01 Saabs were all very similar in body style and were produced for decades. Did Jason not say they were the Tesla for their time? I grew up in the 70s and 80s, they were everywhere. Just like Teslas. Teslas are ugly and are a pioneer in electric cars. Saabs are ugly and were a pioneer in safety.
My mother's family owned several dealerships one of which was a SAAB franchise.
They never really made a profit on the sales side but the repair side was a cash cow.
Engine electrical and transmission problems were rampant.
They kept a few short and long blocks as well as transmissions and turbo assemblies in stock because they usually replaced several a year. When owners praise Saab reliability I just chuckled to myself. Any car can be kept going indefinitely as long as the owner is willing to replace parts and do the repairs. Next time you see a Saab with 200,000 miles on it ask the owner how much they have paid in repair costs and what they've replaced since the end of the warranty and I think even the owner would be shocked.
lol, my saab 900 from 98 just passed 200 000 miles, original turbo, original shocks, original gearbox, original clutch
99 and early 900 yes. Unreliable.
@@roffe84 Late 900. Nothing to do with these.
i have 7 with over 200,000, 3 of them are over 250k... feel free to ask (:
@@roffe84 I believe these cars to be peak saab. As well as the 9000 of the same years.
They were great cars, I had an 84 900 and an 86 900 SPG (also a 92 9000). Great driving dynamics, didn't really feel like a boring FWD car of the era, and tons of room for stuff. They taught me a lot about working on my own car by necessity. There were few options in the early 90s and later for repairs, the dealership, expensive and didn't know how to fix things, indy's which were super hard to find, most refused to work on Saabs, or doing it yourself. Then there were the hacks that claimed to know how to work on them but only made things worse and your wallet a lot more empty.
Comparing them to Tesla is insulting to everyone who worked for Saab, and Saab owners
I loved driving 900's back in the early 90's when I could get my hands on one. They were so different from what I was used to and they were a blast to drive.
God, I miss my old Saab’s! Best cars I ever owned! Thank you for producing this for us (still loyal) Sabbies!
We had a new 900S Turbo in the 70’s. It was blistering fast, my mom loved the turbo, it literally put you in the back seat.
I had the misfortune of working on the Saab Turbo in the 80s. Everything was impossibly complicated to get at. It's as if the built the radio , then built the car around it.
AND as far as SAFETY is concerned, the Turbo was the most terrifying car to control if you tromped the accelerator. The torque came on quick, the suspension came on SLOW. When you stepped on the gas the drive train would accelerate, and the body flopped back hard on it's mushy suspension (probably softened for the NA market). This unloaded the front wheels which lost traction. Add to that torque steer and the whole car thrust to and froe, and side to side, every wheel getting it's turn at the mayhem. This was truly scary, I will never forget the 1st time I experienced that. Everybody at the shop tried it. Everybody came back with a nervous tick.